Mother chicken and chicks on Kauai. Up to no good for sure.

Kauai’s chickens rule.

They stop traffic in downtown Lihue and beg like squirrels in local parks. You can find them at the beach, in the forest, and crowing outside your window at all hours. The population of Kauai’s chickens is much higher than that of humans. They survive on fallen fruit and other scraps, and aren’t very good to eat themselves, since they’re on the lean and mean side. So though they are considered a nuisance, people generally leave them alone. For many visitors, including us, they are a constant source of entertainment.

Feral rooster on Kauai

How did they get here?

There are a few theories that relate to how Kauai’s chickens arrived on the island. Wikipedia will tell you they were brought here by ancient Polynesian explorers as a source of food. The chickens then survived since they have no natural predators. The most common theory we heard is this. The mongoose was introduced on the other Hawaiian islands in the late 1800’s to control the rat population.  When the mongoose crate arrived in Kauai, either it was swept out to sea or a mongoose bit a deckhand and he dropped the crate in the water. In either case, the mongoose never made it onto Kauai. While they gnaw away at the chicken population on other islands, the chickens live in bliss on Kauai. Another factor has been hurricanes like Hurricane Iniki, which blew through in 1992, releasing domesticated chickens along with roosters being bred for cock-fighting. The chickens’ mixed ancestry (cross-breeding with Filipino fighting cocks) is more obvious in the roosters. Their colorful plumage really is pretty.

Kauai Sunset

Chicken Pros and Cons

Aside from the obvious economic boost from tourists buying all sorts of chicken-related souvenirs, chickens have another benefit. They eat bugs!  Keeping that pest population down has got to be worth something. On the negative side, the chickens do make quite a mess. They are seen by many local residents as pests, as they dig up gardens and leave behind lots of nasty droppings. They can also threaten native bird species who don’t have immunity to diseases carried by the non-native fowl. For a thorough discussion on the topic of Kauai’s chickens, check out the post on this topic on Kauai Blog.